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Uivrrnn 'raras Parana @reitera CHARLES HENRY SOUTHALL AND ROBERT HEAP, OF STALEYBRIDGE, ENG- l LAND.

IMPROVED VIACHINE FOR MAKING BOOTSAAND SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,802, dated February 20, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES HENRY SOUTHALL and ROBERT HEAP, ot Staleybridge. in the county of Lancaster and Kingdom of England, have invented new and useful improvements in self-acting machinery or apparatus, worked by steam or other power, for cutting and shaping the soles and heels of boots and shoes and screwing them onto the uppers or coverings, and also in vises for holding the same and tools for paring, blackiiig, and glazing or otherwise ornamenting the edges of the soles and heels; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, arid t0 the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to that description of boots and shoes in which the soles are fixed to the uppers or coverings by screws; and it consists in cutting` the soles, makin gthe screws, fixing the soles, and finishing their edges by means of self-acting machinery, so that a large number of boots or shoes can be made in a short time without employing skilled labor, and only requiring the ordinary wooden last Without any plating, the several' operations being performed either in one machine, or one machine employed for cutting the soles, another for screwing the soles and heels onto the uppers or coverings, and another for paring and iinishin g. As the screws are required to be of a greater length for the heelsof the boot or shoe than for the soles, we begin by screwing on the soles at one of the sides, close to the heel part, and continue onward round the toe and the other side until we arrive again at the heel part, and this operation is performed for as many boots and shoes as re-v quired, after which thc heels are screwed on, and then the soles and heels are pared and polished in the same machine or a similar one.

The manner in which our invention is to be performed will be clearly understood by referring to the figures and letters on the accompanying three sheets of drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of our improved self-actin g machinery for cutting and shaping the soles and heels of boots and shoes and screwing' them onto the uppers or coverings, and afterward paring and tinishin g their edges, all ot' which operations are performed in one masteady.

chine. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan of part of the same; and Figs. 4, 5, (i, 7, E), l0, l1, 12,13, lat, l5,16,and 17 are detached views ot' various parts of our improvements.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which are drawn to a scale of one and a half inch to the foot, (i represents the frame-work of the machine, b the driving-shaft, c the driving and loose pulleys. and d the driving-straps. for fastening the soles and heels to the uppers or coverings are made from a coil ot' wire. placed on the drum e at the top ofthe inachine, and afterward screwed by cutters or dies in the holder f,`and forced ixito the sole of the boot or shoe without any hole having been previously made, the length of thescrews being regulated by means of change-wheels g. When the screw has penetrated the intended distance the hollow spindle h containing the wire is made to stop by a check strap or brake, t', worked by a cam or lever, j, fixed to the top of the vertical shaft lf, which is turned by means of bevel wheels and gearing from the driving-shaft b, while a pair of self-acting shears, l, cuts the screw and allows the boot to be moved by another cam, m, on the shaft 7c, working a ratchet-wheel, a. on the shaft 0 one tooth or more, as desired, which ratchet-wheel, by means of intermediate gearing, gives inotioii to the table p, on which the boot is placed.

ln making boots or shoes with our machine the tirst and principal thing is the holding of the boot firmly. For this purpose we use two peculiar vises, one for the sole part and the other for the heel part. rlhe vise for holding the boot or slice when the. sole part has been screwed on is shown in Figs. 1,2, 4, and 5, the two ligures, 4C and 5, being drawn to a scale of three inches to the foot. The said' vise consists of an oblongiron box or frame,r q, with square ends, and made rather longer than the largestsized boot and rather wider than the broadest and about two inches deep.

.Parallel with the sides of this box are two levers, r, formed of round smooth rods, one end of each of which works on a fulcrum fixed to one end of the box, and the opposite ends of the said levers work in a slot in the other end ot' the box for the purpose of keeping them At or about the center of each side of the box there is an axis or truimion, s, which The screws enables the box to swivel up and down when in work, and through these axes are placed the screws t, which are in contact with and press up the aforesaid levers. At one end ot' the box there is a bed, u, for receiving the toe of the boot or shoe, and on Vthe aforesaid levers there are clips o, made of brass or any other suitable material, between which the boot is placed, which clips have bosses with entire holes or have half-bosses with semicircular cavities. Theselatterclipsareot'varioussizes,and different views of one drawn about full si-ze are shown in Figs. t3, 7, and 8. That part of the clip which is in contact with the smooth levers r is curved in two directions, as at vlw, so that it may have a universal action and allow the nose of the said clip to bed freely against the boot, and the bede is so placed that the toe is central with the center of the stud, on which the table and rack revolve. At the sides of the box are placed small rollers x, for purposes hereinafter described. l1`he boot being held in this vise securely, the vise is then placed with its axes resting on two bearings or brackets, y, Figs. l and .5, lixed on the table p, which table is oblong in shape with circnlarends, and with a slot down thc middle sufiiciently long to accommodate thc largest-sized boot. This slot is beveled on the under side and rests on a corresponding` beveled slide, in the center of which is placed a boss bored as in an ordinary wheel. Un the top of the slide p, and screwed fast to the slide, there are plates z, Figs. l, 2, and 9, having in them curved or cam-shaped grooves,

in which the before-mentioned rollers a; at the sides of the vise or box work, whereby the boot is made to rise and fall to suit its different curves, and thereby present a proper surface to the screws, shears, and finishing-tools. An enlarged view of one of the grooved plates is shown in Fig. i); but the plates and grooves :ne of dili'erent dimensions, adapted to boots and shoes of different sizes and shapes, and both plates on the table may have the saine form of grooves and have all the four rollers w working in them, or one plate at one side may have a groove adapted for mens boots and shoes, and the other plate a groove for womens boots and shoes, and then two ofthe rollers m would workin the groove oftheplate in use and the other rollers would have to be removed. Underneath the table p is fixed arack, a', Fig. 1,

round at one end and straight' at the sides, but

only the length of the largest-sized boot and the breadth of an average-sized one, and by lbeing so arranged it is suitable for all sizes and sorts of boots or shoes. To suit the irregularities of the edges of the soles the table lo is made to move to and fro bythe center of the slide being placed on a stud, b', which is central .with the toe ofthe boot or shoe and iixed on the top of a )edestal-shaft, c, about three or four feet long, the `bottom of which is screwed in a cross-bar with turned ends, which ends work in two brackets, d', placed on a bottom. plate, e'. On this plate also is placed a stud which carries a toothed wheel,f, connected to the shaft g', carrying at the top a pinion, h', which gears into and drives the aforesaid rack a for giving motion to the table. The wheel and rack are kept in gear by means of a casting, k', keyed on-the pedestalshaft and bored the proper distance from it to allow the. shaft g to pass through. The pedestal-shaft c and shaft g are therefore always allied with each other and move to and fro according to the curves of thc edge ot' a bootsole, the sole itseltl forming its own cam or guide. There isa fixed guide, If. Fig. 1,placed immediately underneath the shears, against which the edge of the boot-sole works, and to keep the edge ot' the sole to this guide a strong spring, m', in Figs. l land .2 acts against the back ot' the pedestal-shaft c.

The table-pmlestal and its appendagesjust described require to move up and down to suit the inequalities of the boot-sole, and this has to be eii'ected with great ease. To eliect this the plate e and the plate n are fixed to a shaft, o', about four feet long, or longer if convenient, for the longer the shaft the easier the motion. The plate e is keyed as near the bottom as possible, and carries the pedestal and the whole of the weight of the table and its appendages, and rests on the foot-plate of the lnachine when notin work. The other plate, a,is keyed on the top and contains merely a slot for guiding the pedestal and keeping it always in the center. The frame at 19 and foot-plate are bored to make bearings forthis shaft o', and with the bearings being so far apart it moves up and down with the greatest ease. A weighted lever, q', is connected by a rod, r', to the bottom plate, e', for the purpose of raising the boot against the nose of the shears, against which it beds, and a proper weight being employed at the weight end, the boot always maintains its proper position. The weighted lever, however, is not sufficient to resist the force of the screw while penetrating the boot-sole, and consequently a wedge or cam-shaped hammer, s', is used, which works under a toothed roller, t', placed on a stud liXed to the top plate, n', or any other suitable place. This hammer is worked by a lever, u', put in motion by a cam, lv', onthe vertical shaft lr. The hammer has two grooved pulleys, in which are fixed chains working in opposite directions. One chain, m', is attached to the lever u' and draws away the pressure from the boot to enable it to move, and a weight, y', is attached to the other chain, z', so that when the cam fv, which works the lever u', liberates it the weight y suddenly brings the presslure ot' the hammer again against the toothed roller t', and thereby squeezes the part of the boot-sole together while the screw penetrates.

`The wheel f', on the bottom plate, e', is driven by a deep wheel, t2-with one halt' of a catchbox cast on the top and working loose on the vertical shaft o, the other half of the catchboxsliding on a feather or key fixed to the said vertical shaft o.

This deep Wheel a2 euy ahles the wheelj" to rise and fall with the table without getting out of gear; or an ordinary wheel may be employed instead of the deep wheel, and rise up and down on the plate and .ie constantly in gear with the other wheel. This deep wheel receives motion from the ratchet-wheel n on the shaft 0, and can be moved one, two, or more teeth, as desired, there being at the bottom of the shaft a catch or holdingI wheehz. The ratchet-wheel a is worked by a lever, f2, with catch and spring', and driven by the cam m on the vertical shaft r.

In our machine, therefore, the boot is tirst held fast in the vise, which is then placed in the machine. A catch, g2, which holds down the weighted lever q and also the table and appendages, is then drawn on one side, and allows the table and appendages to rise and place the boot against the nose of the shears, as shown by the dotted lines, against which thehammertcrcesittightly. The screw is then made and penetrates the boot-sole. When it has gone the desired length the hol low spindleh, which carries the wire, is made.

to stop suddenly and the shears cut the screw, and then the pressure of the hammer is taken away by the cam rv', and the boot moves the distance for the next screw, after which the cam 'v' ceases to act on the lever a a-nd the pressure is again renewed, and so on until the sole partof the bootis finished. rlhese operations are performed for any number of boots or shoes, after which the heels have to be screwed onto the uppers or coverings. For this purpose we place the boot or shoe in the vise. (Shown in Figs. 1() and 11, which are drawn to a scale of three inches to the foot.) This vise consists ofan oblong box, h2, the interior of which is longer and wider than the largest-sized boot. At the sides of the box there are two levers, t?, working on fulcrums at one end of the box and guidedat their other ends in a slot at the other end of the box. At or about the center ofthe sides of the box there are axes or trunnions k', having screwed holes, through which are passed the screws Z2, the ends ot' which are in contact with the aforesaid levers Each of these levers has a screwed hole, through which is passed the screw m2, which has a partly-spherical end fitted to a cavity in the holder, so as to form a ball-joint and enable the holder to swivel to any position. On the levers there is a crossbar, 02, which is employed for supporting the front part of the boot or shoe, which bar is capable of being shifted as required and afterward held fast by a set-screw. On the levers there are clips similar to those shown in Figs. (5, 7, and b.

In order that the screws may be placed at a uniform distance from the edge and the finishing operations performed in an efficient manner, it is necessary that the boot or shoe should be so held in the vise that the center of the heel should be central, or in a line with the center of the rack or stud which 'l "si 52,802 3 carries the rack and table. To insure this condition we employ a gage which can be moved up and down according to the size of the boot or shoe, but which is always mainlrained central with the center of the aforesaid rack or stud. This gage consists of a circular plate, q2, attached to a bar, r2, which is fixed to or is formed with the circular or other rod s2. Tnis rod is fitted to a vertical hole at the end of the box and held fast at the required height by the screw, there being, when the rod is round, a slot formed in it for the end of the screw to enter in order to maintain the gage always in a central position. Thus when a boot or shoe has to be held in this vise it is placed in the box and the fore part supported onthe cross-bar o2 and the clips p2 placed on the levers. after which the holders a2 are broughtin contact with the sides of the boot or shoe below the heel, the wooden last being in the inside. The screws m2 of theholders a2 are now turned more or less until the heel is central with the gage, and then the holders and clips are screwed tight up by the aforesaid screws m2 and the central screws, Z2. All the motions are actuated by the cams and wheels on the vertical shaft k.

The shaft h, on the top of which is the drum c for holding the coil ot wire, and each revolution ot' which causes a thread ofthe screw to be cut, is made to revolve by means of the wheel a3, which gears into one of the changewvheels g, two of which `can be changed to regulate the length of the screw, and one of the change-wheels is geared into the large wheel b3 on the vertical shaft 7c. rlhe shaft h is furnished with 'a catch-box, c3, which is lifted outotgear when the stop takes place to enable the shears to cut and the boot to move. A lever, d3, is used to liberate the catch-box, and is worked by a cam, c3, fixed on the large wheel b3 on the vertical shaft lf. A smooth pulley is fixed on the shaft h, round which is placed the check-strap or brake t', which is drawn tight by the cam or lever j working a lever, f3, to which the end of the check-strap t' is affixed, and which instantly stops the shaft h.

The shears l are made with a stud and roller on the end of each arm, which rollers work in slots in the plate g3, which may be circular or of any other shape. These slots are made so that when the plate is turned in one direction the shears close and cut the screw. A stud and roller, 71,3, is likewise xed on this plate, against which a cam, i3, on thevertical shaft lc strikes and causes it to turn as far as it is desired, lthe shears being again opened by the passage ot' the succeeding screw. The vertical shaft 7c therefore, when the drivingstrap is shifted onto the fast pulley by the strap fork-rod and handle j, is the means by which all the motions are worked, and every time this shaft revolves a screw is forced into the boot-sole and the boot moves the distance it is intended to place each screw from the other.

lWhen the screwing is completed the vise containing the boot is removed to another portion ot' the machine, where a table, 7c3, similar tothe table p, already described, but larger, is placed to receive it for the purpose of iinishing the edges. There is, however, a difference in the motion of the tables, inasmuch as the one used for the screwing moves at intervals, whereas the motion ot' the nishing-table is required to move to and fro; neither is it required to move up and down, and therefore works on a iiXed center, a5.

To the under side ot' the table is fixed a rack, b5, similar to the one before described, gearing into a toothed wheel, c5, fixed to the shaft e5, which carries at the bottom the spurwheelf5, communicating by gearing with the shaft g5.

The tools have to-and-fro motion sidewise imparted to them, according to the shape of the heel and sole, by a lever, Z3, jointed to a fulcruin on the movable arm or lever m3, the end of the lever Z3 being bored to receive the various tools, and the lever m3 being kept up to its work by the lever and weight a3. This lever L3 is also jointed,as at 03, to the slide 193, which can be held up by a catch, and thereby hold up the lever when it is notin work, as shown by the full lines. When the catch is turned back the slide is lowered, and with it the lever, as shown by the dotted lines, and the slide and lever Iare free to move up and down and follow the various curves ofthe booti sole when the tool is placed therein, for in connection withithe tool there is a guard which rests upon the boot-sole, and is kept there by a spring or by 'the weight g3 connected to the slide, and is guided by the boot-sole accordingly. than anything else, the human arm, the elbow being the movable fulerum and the hand the end for holding the'tool, and when the fulcrum of the lever Z3 is raised in the lever m3 so as to place the lever t3 in an angular position the heels can be pared and polished to an angle corresponding with the height to which the fulcrum is raised. The band whichidrives the screwing portion can also be used for driving the finishing-tools, or they may be driven by two separate straps, as shown in the drawings.

It is not convenient to finish the fore part of the boot and heel at the same time, on account of the eXtra thickness of the heel. To overcome this difficulty, therefore, the tools are made to traverse the edge of the boot-sole from one corner of the heel to the other, and then return. This is effected by means of two bevel-wheels, r3, with half of a catch-box: east on each, running loose on the driving-shaft, and gearing into and on each side of a larger beveled wheel, s3, fixed to the vertical shaft g5, which gives, by means of the intermediate gearing and shaft, e3, motion to the table 7c3. Between the two catch-boxesis placed a boss, t3, to which is cast the other halves of each calah-boX, which boss slides backward and This lever therefore resembles, morey forward 011 a key secured 011 the second shaft,

DG, so thatwhen it is in gear with one it is out of gear with the other, and vice versa. yThe middle of this boss is grooved, Vand afiork fastened to a sliding bar, a3, rests in the groo "e and works the said piece. This bar is made self-acting' by means of a series of levers, 013, one of which is provided with a weight, w3, and is worked by ladjustable cams mi and :v4

bolted to the table,so that they can be made to suit either a large or small boot or shoe, which cams, coming' in contact with the bowl z3 ou the lowest of the series of levers '03, cause the levers to rebound to and fro at the proper time, thereby iirst putting' one catch-box into gear and then the other.

To stop the machine a catch-lever is used, which enters a notch in the sliding bar a3 and holds the catch-boxes equidistant from each other and out oi' gear with the bevel-wheels.

The tools for cutting the edges ot thc sole ofthe 'noot or shoe are shown in Figs. 1, 12, 13, and 14, Figs. 12, 13, and l1 being about full size. The said tools are made of brass or any other suitable material, with steel cutters,

and are arranged somewhat similar vto a Iiciners plane, but are made to swivel universally to suit the various curves of the boot-sole. The principle of this plane or cutter is this: There is the cutting-edge a4, Fig'. 14, and two grinding-surfaces,b4andc4. Thecutting-edge, and also one 0r other of the g'rindiiig-surfaces, according to the position of the cutting-edge, whether on the side or toe or heel of the boot or shoe, must be kept to the edge ot' the part to be cut.

To enable this tool to work properly, we prefer that the cutting-edge a4 should be placed exactly in the center of thest-ud which carries the said cutting-edge and surfaces, or it may be placed between the said cutting-edge and one ofthe grinding-surfaces, or in any other convenient position, which stud Works in the ceuter of the boss d4; and the weighted lever a3, Fig. 1, is brought to bear against the arm-lever Z3, in which the ltool is placed, and `forces thc cutting-edge and one ot' the surfaces against the boot-sole, which, coming equally against each, compels the cutter to keep at its proper angle.

The boss d4 forms part of a cranked holder, g, with a stud, h4, opposite the cutting-edge, which stud fits in a hole bored in the aforesaid arm-lever Z3, and it is thereby enabled to follow and bed into the various curves of a boot-sole, the stud h4 being prevented from turning completely over by means ot' a pin or key, i?, Figs. l2 and 13.

The guard lc* ofthe tool rides on the bootsole, and is made broad and of aproper shape, so that it may be easily worked by the same. Itis also made adjustable by the screw and nut Z4, so that it can be raised and lowered to suit any thickness of sole or heel.

The tools for blackin g and glazing are jointed to a cranked holder having a stud fitting the farm-lever Z3, and work up and down and to and fro in the same manner as the cutting and paring tools.

For cutting the soles previously to their bcing placed on the boot or slice lwe remove the vise from the table k3 and place upon the said table another table having centers a4, Fi gs.l5 Iand 16, which iigiires are drawn to ascale ot' onet'ourth. 0n this table is placed the part of the hide to be cut, and above which there is a templet, o4, held fast by screws or by the lever p4, which is pressed down by the cani g4. This templet forms the guide forthe tool which cuts the leather beyond the teniplet, the leather being placed on the roller r4.

The knife orcutterfor cutting the hide is coustructed on the same principle as the tool'for paring the edges oi' the soles and heels,the only diii'erence beingin the shape of the cutter, one ot' which is shown enlarged in Fig. 17. -This arrangement supersedes the present expensive stampiiig-tools, and can be worked with as ninch ease as the tools for paring.

Having now described the nature of the self-actin g machinery or apparatus worked by steam or other power for cutting and shaping the soles and heels of boots and shoes and screwing them onto the uppers or coverings, and also in vises for holding the same, we desire it to be understood that we do not claim the hollow spindle containing the wire for the screws, nor the toothed gearing for giving it revolving motion, nor the arrangement for stopping it by shifting one-halt' of a clutchbox, nor the dies or cutters for making the screws, nor the shears, nor the method of givingintermittent motion to the table by a ratchet-wheel worked by a lever and catch; but

We claim as our invention- 1. The brake i', lever f3, and lever j, for instantly stopping the drum e when the driving power is taken off.

2. The improved vises for holding the boots and shoes so firmly that they can be operated upon with ease and certainty.

3. rlhe bearings or bracketsy on the tables, for enabling the vises,and consequently the boots or shoes, to move up and down according to the shapes of the bottom of the soles.

4. The system of employing under each ta.- hle a rack round atone end and straight at the sides. so as to be adapted to all sorts and sizes ct' boots and shoes.

5. rlhe ca-in or pattern plates for determining the aforesaid up-and-down movement with certainty.

6. The employment ot the long shaft o', plates n' ande', the casting lc', the long pedestalshaft e', and the shaft g', for enabling the table to move to and i'ro and up and down easily.

7. The deep wheel a2, or an ordinary wheel which rises up and down with the wheel f', for maintaining the Wheel f constantly in gear.

S. The balance-lever q for raising the table and its appendages when a catch is removed. v 9. The cam-shaped hammer s', raised by the chain z and weight y', for forcibly pressing the sole of the boot or shoe against the nose of the shears. v

10. The cam cf on the shaft 7c, the lever u', and the chain x', for taking oft the weight ot' the hammer when the boot or shoe has to be moved for a fresh screw and allowing the weight to be put on immediately the cani has passed the tail of the lever.

11. rlhe system ot' making the holders,

guards, and cutters, as shown in Figs. 12, 13,

and 14,for paring or shapingthe soles and heels after they have been screwed on, and also the employment ot' similar holders for the iinishing-tools.

12. The movable arm or lever Z3, Fig. 1, for carrying the holders with the paring and iinishing tools, and also the levers m3 and a3 for enabling the tools to follow the surface and sides ot' the sole and heel.

13. The cams x3 and :104, Fig. l, for acting on the levers c3 for giving by means of the gearing and clutches ri" alternate motion to the table 7c3.

14. The weight g3, orits equivalent, connected directly or indirectly to the slide p3, jointed to the movable arm t3, for keeping the cutters and tools in their places as their guards ride on the surface of the sole or heel.

15. The apparatus shown in Figs. l5 and 16 for holding the leather to be cut into soles, and also the application to aholder similar to those shown in Figs. 1 2, 13, and 14 of acuttingknife, Fig. 17, for cutting the soles from the hide.

16. The adaptation of our improvements either to one machine, as shown in the drawings, or to a machine employed only for cutting the soles, or to a machine for only screwing the soles and heels onto the uppers or'coverin gs, or to one employed only for paring and n'nishing, as all such improvements are herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying three sheets oi' drawings.v

Done at Manchester, England, this 13th day ot October, 1865.

oHAs. H. soU'rHALL. ROBERT Haar. 

